At the premiere of Shrinking Season 2 on October 7 in Los Angeles, Jason Segel revealed his motivation for casting Brett Goldstein in a darker, more pivotal role. The decision was influenced by Segel’s own experience in trying to break free from a beloved character.
Segel, 44, expressed confidence in Goldstein’s versatility as an actor. “Brett’s capable of doing anything,” he stated, highlighting Goldstein’s long-standing involvement with the series as a writer and co-creator. “I knew secretly that he wanted to play that part, and I knew he would kill it.”
Drawing from his own journey as Marshall Erickson in How I Met Your Mother, Segel acknowledged the challenge actors face in being perceived solely through the lens of their most famous roles. “I have a lot of experience being Marshall Erickson and then working to have people see me as other characters,” he explained. “I know that he probably deals with that as Roy Kent,” referring to Goldstein’s character from Ted Lasso. Segel’s aim was clear: “I just wanted to be the voice to say, ‘No, do something totally different. Let’s break that now.’ And he’s amazing in the show.”
Segel portrayed the lovable Marshall in How I Met Your Mother, a sitcom that aired from 2005 to 2014, chronicling the adventures of Ted (Josh Radnor) and his close-knit group of friends in New York City. The series not only gained immense popularity but also inspired a gender-flipped spinoff, How I Met Your Father, featuring Hilary Duff.
In a recent conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Segel reflected on the impact of his former colleagues, saying, “Those people changed my life, and I would do anything they ever asked me to.”
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